Stamm Kp.Gren.E.B.37 EKM (Hürtgen Wald)

The dog tag or 'Erkennungsmarke' shows normal signs of wear. Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 37 was formed in the August of 1939 in Osnabrück and in November 1942 renamed and divided in Grenadier Ersatz Bataillon 37 and Grenadier Ausbildungs Bataillon 37. From the beginning its trained and delivered soldier for the 6.Infanterie-Division. In September 1944 the Ersatz Bataillon was absorbed by the 89.Infanterie-Division and saw action in the Eifel area (Monschau/Vossenack) and in April 1945 in the Oberrhein area.
A new Grenadier Ersatz Bataillon 37 was formed in October 1944 and fell under Division 466 and in March it was probably used to form Grenadier Regiment 416 as part of the 361.Volks-Grenadier-Division. This division was formed in Amersfoort, the Netherlands.
A Stammkompanie was a unit that trained the soldiers. Often the soldiers of this kompanie were soldiers who had frontline experience and/or where no longer fully usable on the front due to injuries. Of course this changed later in the war and they also where put into action (in the last months of the war) as there was a shortage of (front)soldiers.
The 'O' on both parts of the tag stands for the soldier's bloodtype.